


What's Important to You, Snatcher?

by RobsterSkellington



Category: A Hat in Time (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, OtH!AU by @doodledrawsthings, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:27:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24213637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RobsterSkellington/pseuds/RobsterSkellington
Summary: Due to an accident with a Time Piece, Snatcher has become a human, the Prince, once more. After so much love and support from his newfound family, does he even WANT to return to his old form? The choice may be out of his hands when a certain someone from his past comes back to haunt him.
Comments: 11
Kudos: 88





	1. "Why does she want to take everything from me?"

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own AHiT or the OtH!AU, that was created @doodledrawsthings on Tumblr. I'm not much of a writer, so I'm sincerely sorry if this is terrible, but this is also my own story and it's just an idea I came up with for the AU that got me into this wonderful game.

300 years ago... well, it's not much of a secret anymore, is it? Two people fell in love, complications occur, and people pecking die. Snacher knew this as a fact and has long since stopped caring. He died, but his soul couldn't rest, so he became stronger. Let go of who he was, even though he still found himself having to fight off the woman who haunted him, and her cursed ice powers. How dare she continuously attack his home?! Honestly, he thought he was done caring completely. Until...

Until those little girls came along. At first, he treated them like any other victims who came into his forest. Stole their souls, had them do contracts, blah blah blah... so why did they insist on staying and befriending him, even after he relented and gave them back their souls, as well as his last Time Piece?! He thought he could never understand. It didn't help that another distraction came to haunt him in the body of... well, his old one! He hated Moonjumper with a vengeance at first, this reminder of his failures. All of these things were annoying pests! So why did he slowly begin to smile at the thought of seeing them? Start feeling a dull ache inside him, when they were apart?

Snatcher found this out 5 months ago, when his cockiness lead to him destroying a faulty Time Piece and reversed his last 300 years. He became angry, in order to hide his fear, his shame of being that weak, pathetic reminder of his past. Having to swallow his pride and ask for Moonjumper's help with keeping Subcon from freezing over was the most embarrassing moment of his life and afterlife, and he'd had to do back to school after Vanessa's little hairdressing stunt. (He'd told the girls about that, and was very surprised that instead of laughing, they just agreed that blond would NEVER suit him).

In those 5 months, Snatcher found it hard to adjust. In a fit of rage at seeing his face and being flooded by dark memories, he had destroyed the ships bathroom mirror; the bandage had long since gone, but the new scar on the back of his hand persisted. The first time he grew sleepy, he nearly had a panic attack, thinking he was dying AGAIN, until Bow got the adorable idea to sing him a lullaby, helping him slip off. The hunger pains were the worst, but Hat immediately fixed that with a bunch of breakfast items... needless to say, the bacon did not last long. Moonjumper had to visit the ship often, to give Snatcher updates, and to see the girls; after a while, they two became close, and had become brothers without realising.

Snatcher never went to Subcon in that time, far too risky. If Vanessa found out, what if he died again? What would happen to Subcon? Moonjumper? The girls? He really didn't want to think of that. However, being stuck on the ship wasn't healthy all the time, so they often went to Mafia Town, or on occasion, Dead Bird Studios. Snatcher always felt his cheeks warm a little whenever the Conductor and Grooves mentioned just how much he looks like he could be their father! Admittedly, after the second month, he did begin to see the girls as something like a family... and he'd always wanted children secretly, but the only people who knew was Moonjumper, who had his memories, and Vanessa, whom he had talked to about it originally. Not happening, that's all that needs saying.

Things don't last, that's what Snatcher should have remembered. Something was always going to go wrong. Why wouldn't it? Snatcher was clearly hexed to be unlucky when he really didn't need it!! So when Moonjumper didn't visit in a week, and Subcon began to freeze, Snatcher himself grew cold. He snarled to himself, "That idiot. I'm going to have to turn back, aren't I? If Subcon freezes, I'll never forgive myself." Hat Kid just shook her head and smiled at him. "You're staying human, okay? It's what you want. We'll find MJ. Maybe you can help this time!" Now THAT was actually true. Snatcher wasn't that helpless Prince anymore. Hat and Bow had given his old Mail Cap a new look and powers of it's own, and Moonjumper had given him badges to make his hat, as well as his new "weapon" (a simple umbrella, because why not, the girls had beaten the peck out of his ghost form with one), so Snatcher was far from defenseless. 

Snatcher and the girls prepared themselves, Snatcher wearing sneakers, a simple grey long sleeved tshirt, dark blue jeans and a black jacket, with his hat and umbrella to complete the look. He'd grown incredibly comfortable with this new type of fashion, and had found himself burning his old royal garments as soon as possible. He really owed Cooking Cat for not telling the girls why there was a fire in the kitchen in the first place. 

Subcon... was definitely freezing, but it didn't look as bad as everyone feared; the minions, spirits and other denizens of Subcon were all trying to get rid of the ice! He couldn't help but smile at the realisation: this was their home too. Of course they wanted to help... he just hadn't let them. They went to the Hollow Tree that was Snatchers home, as Moonjumper had been staying there to rest and recuperate, and while there was evidence that he had been there recently, there was no sign of Moonjumper himself. Bow had found herself looking at a book on the table, and tensed at what she saw... it was Vanessa and Snatcher's storybook! But new pages had been added.

After the drawing of the Prince's soul abandoning his body to become the Snatcher, it showed images of... the Prince, walking around Mafia Town, his hands held by two little space girls. Bow called Hat and Snatcher over, and of course they both felt immediately sick to their stomachs. Vanessa knew. How did she know?! The next image... was Moonjumper, hung by chains as the Prince had once been. On the back of the page was Vanessa's handwriting; Snatcher swallowed dryly before reading it aloud. 

"I know you're still alive, my Prince. I simply wish to talk. You friend will not be harmed, but only if you and your little brats come as well. I await your swift arrival. Love eternally, Vannessa."

Despite all the fears, they didn't hesitate. They ran... to Snatcher's old prison. Vanessa's Manor.


	2. "Haven't I lost enough?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Facing his past with his new family is already a challenge. But they had to save Moonjumper... they just didn't expect Vanessa to have an accomplice!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm impatient, so here's Chapter 2.

The Manor was as imposing as ever, no surprise there. If it wasn't for Hat and Bow, plus the fact that Moonjumper was in danger, Snatcher felt like he might have just run away. He didn't want to be here! This place, where he once loved, had become a prison, the love of his life, his jailer... and unintentional executioner. That's right, Vanessa hadn't MEANT to kill Snatcher, but that's just what happens when you allow your powers to go out of control. Oh, and forgetting to feed your prisoner. That's a big part too.

Snatcher nearly jumped out of his skin when Bow grabbed his hand, looking at him with sympathy, "Snatcher, its okay. You were alone before. You're not alone now. We won't let her do anything to you or to MJ. We promise." Snatcher couldn't help but smile; Bow always went out of her way to cheer people up. Sure, Hat Kid also tried to make people smile and laugh, but usually by being cheeky, and usually after fighting them. He hadn't felt courage like this in a long time... so he stepped forward and entered the manor before he could let it slip away.

Depressing, that's the best way to describe this place; dark wallpaper, weak lighting from dying candles and portraits ripped up. Snatcher had a faint thought that if the paintings were in good condition, he could have burned them for the Fire Spirits, killing two birds with one stone; he gets rid of more painful reminders, and the Fire Spirits got to die. Win Win! This place hadn't changed since the day his spirit had left, so... what was different? Oh, that's right! Vanessa wasn't running around attempting to jump scare any trespassing kids or other things. Where was she, then?

Hat and Bow came to the same conclusion and the trio decided to explore, carefully. They found their answer in the dining room, where Moonjumper was hung against a wall, next to three other sets of chains; sitting at the table in front of MJ was Vanessa... and a familiar looking Red Riding Hood lookalike.

Her almost cockney accent was as cold as the woman across from her, "Hello again, bad guys. It's been a long time. I have to admit, it was strange seeing you all in Mafia Town, playing happy families." Vanessa looked up, her glowing eyes never leaving Snatcher, who did his best to avoid her gaze, by glaring at the stupid girl with the moustache. "YOU? You're the one who told her I was alive? Why? How does it benefit you?" Snatcher could barely contain his anger, more so when she scoffed at his response. "Well, it means I can get rid of those two, right your majesty?"

As if on cue, Vanessa had managed to swiftly chain up the girls, disarming them and chaining them in one move. Before Snatcher could question it, he saw it. On Vanessa's crown was a badge. He cursed inwardly at not realizing that crowns could be conceived as a hat! This badge gave her the ability to attack quickly and without being stopped. Moustache Girl smirked, "I assume you like the gift I gave her? I can use them too, by attaching them to my hood. But details, details. You two should talk..." 

Snatcher faced Vanessa. With that badge of hers, would he stand a chance? With the... with his girls and fri-... and brothers lives at stake, he couldn't risk it. Vanessa's voice was soft, loving. He remembered that tone. "My Prince... please, stay with me. I was cruel. Stupid. I hurt you, but I swear, my dear... I'll never hurt you again. But you understand, that it's just us. These creatures you ally yourself with will simply be in the way! Allow me to get rid of them... then return to my side." Snatcher was FURIOUS! SHE WANTED TO "GET RID OF THEM"?! HE WAS NO FOOL! HE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THAT MEANT!!

"YOU WANT TO KILL THEM?! WHAT THE PECK IS WRONG WITH YOU, VEN?!" Snatcher found himself panting, calming down before his voice could crack again. Vanessa just stared. He called her "Ven", just like old times. But he wasn't happy, she knew that. Though she also couldn't allow these freaks to take her love away again. Still... there was no love in his eyes. In fact, she could have sworn she could see... "Hate? My Prince... do you hate me?"

Snatcher didn't hesitate. "You know what, Vanessa? Yes. I hate you with every fibre of my being. You made my life Hell. You forced me to change my appearance, forbade me from going outside unless it was for school, and you banned me from eating my favourite food. Then when I decided to be romantic and buy you flowers... instead of listening to what happened, you had me locked up. YOU KILLED ME, AND I HATE YOU, I HATE HOW I LOVED YOU SO MUCH THAT IT BLINDED ME! But I'm not weak anymore. I'm finished with you."

Vanessa just stared, her eyes having shrunk into pinpricks, then she formed ice in her hands. "YOU WILL STAY WITH ME... WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!!" Snatcher had to dodge her attacks, until Vanessa felt something grab her arm. It was... red string? Moonjumper had regained consciousness during the fight, and was using the strings on his hands to cause Vanessa to miss, and giving Snatcher opportunities to hit her with his umbrella. A solid plan, if it weren't for the fact that Vanessa wouldn't turn blue.

She snarled at Snatcher, "Very well. You'll stay with me, you'll see. After all... you won't leave if you have nothing to leave and live for." Using her other hand, she shot her ice and it struck... Hat Kid directly in the chest, causing a thick layer of ice to incase her, so fast that she didn't get the chance to scream. Snatcher could only stare in abject horror, the fight having drained from him. He was only dimly aware of Moonjumper screaming in rage, of Bow Kid crying, Moustache Girl laughing... and his knees bucking under him as he stared at his little girl's frozen body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully my attempt at angst is as entertaining to read as it was to write...


	3. "No more of this!"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hat Kid... no, no, Snatcher can't let his happen! But... what can he do..? Secretly, a part of him knew all along what needed to be done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't get this story out of my mind, so I'll push out this chapter and see about finishing this story soon.

Moonjumper had never felt rage, or desire to harm others. He was relatively peaceful, even after the amount of times he and Snatcher had fought after Snatcher made vile comments about his decision to use the Prince's old body. He'd made his choice, and after a while, after Snatcher became human again and Moonjumper's existential crisis cooled off a bit, the two became almost brotherly; there was also the fact that the girls looked after them and vice versa. He was happy, and so were they... so why did this evil witch and selfish child have to interfere?! Hat was FROZEN like all of Vanessa's victims, and Snatcher had stopped responding. No matter what Bow or Moonjumper said or screamed, Snatcher wouldn't move. He was in shock. Broken.  
"Snatcher, PLEASE! We need you too-" Moonjumper was cut off by Vanessa grabbing him and snarling.  
"You should never have interfered, abomination. I'll have my Prince again... even if he's just a trophy to keep in my room!"

Snatcher heard none of this. There was just a faint buzzing in his ears. The tears falling from his eyes refused to let up, not that he was trying. He didn't even care that at a time, this is what he wanted; he'd sent Hat Kid into Vanessa's Manor while he had her soul hostage. Thinking that, he realized just how pathetic his human form truly was! If he was Snatcher, he could have saved her soul by stealing it! Now there was nothing... what was that... shiny thing that fell behind her and why was it catching his eye? Without really thinking, he looked. It was a Time Piece? No, this one seemed kinda fragile. Wait, that was the Time Piece he broke! The faulty one! His heart hammered in his chest... well, he'd better get used to that feeling while he can, because it won't last. 

Bow, despite her grief, had seen where Snatcher's eyes landed. And in his eyes, she saw his plan.  
"Are you sure," she mouthed, "what if we can't find a way for you to be like this anymore? What if you get stuck as..?"  
Snatcher just gave a weak smile. As Snatcher, as his ghost form, he has a lot more tricks up his metaphorical sleeve, and he was certain he could take Vanessa down. Bow began to kick and scream, directing both Moustache Girl and Vanessa's attention while Snatcher grabbed it. This was immediately noticed, Moustache Girl looking confused.  
"What are you planning?"  
"My Prince, don't act foolish. Those things are dangerous!" Vanessa had panic in her tone. Good.

With a final smirk, Snatcher crushed the Time Piece with his bare hands.  
.  
.  
.  
.

"AHAHAHAHAHA! FOOOOOOOOOLS!!"  
The Snatcher, in his brilliant purple spirit form floated in front of them, though his smile and signature laugh were malicious. One slash released his brother, another his remaining girl.  
"You deal with the red hooded pest. My Queen... time for you to die!!"  
He launched himself at Vanessa, the two fighting like wild animals! He knew she was like him in a way, and couldn't be hurt. That was fine, he just needed time to ready his attack and tire her out at the same time. Moonjumper took this time to unhook Hat's icy body and lie her on the ground, Bow having already begun to whale on Moustache in her fury; needless to say, Moustache was soon unconscious on the ground, both of them unsure how to help Snatcher. 

Snatcher saw this and smirked. Of course Moustache went down easy, without her own Time Pieces, she was nothing.  
"Think you can help me tire her out? I need time to get these powers ready!" They immediately struck her with all they could, Vanessa snarling and determined to defeat these trespassers! She was absolutely livid that her Prince had been Snatcher all along! Once she had dealt with these pecking morons, she was going to have a very long 'talk' with her new friend...

It was ready. He signalled Moonjumper to slow Vanessa's movement, so he entangled her with his strings. Snatcher then proceeded to throw a potion, hitting Vanessa directly in the face and turning her body blue. This was it. She was already weak and vulnerable, all it would take is a final hit. Bow had the sense to turn away and cover her ears while Moonjumper forced his eyes shut. Vanessa looked up at Snatcher. Her love. Her Prince. He was no longer there, revenge had clouded his mind, and besides... this way he could save Subcon too. He raised his hand, and slashed down; fitting, how much like his lost daughter, Vanessa didn't get a chance to scream. 

As her body went limp, it also froze over. It would take some time before the freezing stopped, though. Snatcher just stared at Vanessa's corpse while Moonjumper went to comfort Bow. They won, but... what was the cost? How could this possibly be a victory. Snatcher found himself pulling away and floating to Hat Kid's body. He was silent as he carefully picked it up and held it to his chest, practically curling around it. His own sobs broke the silence. Bow and Moonjumper went to him and instead of turning them away as they expected, he spoke.  
"I swear that no matter what has happened... this doesn't change the last 5 months. I'm not the same as I was. I've grown. You're my family, and I'm not going to be selfish. We're all grieving... I'm..."  
Snatcher suddenly frowned. What was that? He... sensed something moving. He whipped his head around and saw nothing. He sensed it again. Coming from... oh, no way. Please, don't be a trick!

Snatcher held his hand over Hat's chest, and found that he could melt the ice! This shouldn't be possible, he'd never been able to free someone when they froze, but he didn't care. Slowly, he melted the ice... revealing a shivering, unconscious but very much alive little girl. The three friends immediately wrapped their arms around their no longer literally frozen friend, weeping. Hat Kid clearly wasn't normal, she was an alien after all... but not even Snatcher could have predicted that her soul would hang on. He found himself nuzzling her, sniffing. 

"Please don't scare me like that again, kiddo..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As much as I enjoy angst, I like fluffy, happy stuff more. I hope this isn't too cheesy... but this is what I planned from the beginning. I also decided to use HTML instead of Rich Text, so it might look less messy now. I'll probably update the chapters later.


	4. "You should have taken the hint of 'Get Lost'. At least it's over now. Let's have a happy ending, shall we?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanessa is no more. The mismatched family are all alive. But what to do with the former "Hero" that caused this mess..? And what to do after that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really couldn't stop writing this story, or get it outta my head. But now it's over.

They knew they should leave immediately, forget this place of nightmares. But they had to deal with Moustache Girl appropriately; she let her own anger over Hat Kid siding against her get to her head, and put innocent people in danger. So Snatcher got an idea, and told his family. All they did was smirk and before they knew it, the 5 of them were back on the ship. Hat was put into her warm bed straight away; as comfortable as the mountain of pillows was, there was always the risk of her sinking into it. Too risky, considering the state of the poor girl. Moustache was dumped on the floor with a thin pillow under her head and a scratchy blanket over her. They could admit that it was petty... but she had laughed while they had let despair consume them.

Moustache woke up a day later, her body in agony. What had happened? Oh, right. Bow beat the peck out of her. Again. But then why was she on their ship? Why hadn't they left her or done something to her? The answer came rather quickly.  
"GOOOOD MORNING!!"  
She screamed as Snatcher was suddenly towering over her, his grin almost sadistic. Oh, she was in so much trouble. What if he hurt her? Killed her?! She thought about begging for forgiveness, knowing she wouldn't stand a chance against him, when a bit of paper was held in front of her. Upon reading it... it was a contract!  
"Despite everything, I'm not entirely evil. It was fun at first, but it's not all it's cracked up to be. That being said, you really need to pay for the fact that Hat Kid is unconscious and sick, and for making me, for lack of a better term, KILL MYSELF! So just sign this... and accept your punishment. Deal?"  
Moustache would have considered her options, but she didn't have any. At all. The contract required her to do anything Snatcher ordered her to do, including Death Wish Contracts while Hat Kid recovered and Bow Kid helped. She signed.

Hat finally woke up. It took 3 days, but she didn't know that yet. She was tucked in her bed, with something... cool but fluffy around her. Actually, her head was leaning against it. She looked up, groggy, to see a familiar looking BFF. Hat smiled and tried to speak to get his attention, but what she said wasn't anything either of them expected:  
"...dad?"  
Snatcher's eyes shot up and Hat tensed. Did she seriously just do that?! Oh, no. No, he was never gonna let her live it down. He's gonna tease her about it forever! He's... he's... nuzzling her?  
"Hey, kiddo. Take it easy, yeah? You've been out for a few days now. We thought we lost you."  
His voice was definitely the same, but not? It was soft, sad. Like when he'd cried after a nightmare or breakdown. Hat found herself nuzzling him back, the two of them crying in relief as they stayed close together.

It took a while before Hat had the strength to leave her bed, and Snatcher made sure to catch her when she fell. He felt like his old self, but now with a better purpose. He was fully prepared to take care of the girls until the end. Moonjumper and Bow carefully hugged Hat when she'd come downstairs to the kitchen. Cooking Cat made everyone soup, but then froze. They all suddenly began to realise... Snatcher shrugged it off, but deep down he realized just how much he sacrificed. He let them eat, and went home for a while. Subcon had an air of tranquility and calmness now it was no longer constantly on the brink of perishing in ice. His minions and the spirits were going about their normal lives, all of them no longer having the hopelessness they hid behind "tough" personas. Sure, Snatcher had SO MUCH that he'd miss. Being warm, eating food, even wearing his new clothes. But in the end, this was a good thing; with him being dead already, the girls never had to worry about losing their BFF, he dealt with the Queen so his home was safe, he even saved Hat Kid! He was scary again, didn't have to worry about voice cracks, and could fly in general as well as through walls. This is who he was.  
"I'm The Snatcher. I'm not the Prince anymore. And... I'm happy with that."

Hat Kid soon made a full recovery and joined the others in mocking Moustache Girl. Bow had almost been tempted to ask Snatcher to go easy, until Moustache proved she wouldn't change; she'd tried to steal Time Pieces and was promptly given 4 more contracts to do by the end of that day. Snatcher was still scary and a bit of a soon-deh-ray around the Subcon Dwellers and Moustache Girl, but that act melted away around his family. Moonjumper was a little worried about him, turning back to this form after so long being human, until he caught Snatcher staring at himself in the new bathroom mirror. Snatcher was... well, he looked human shaped! But his face, and colours were that of his ghost form. Snatcher noticed him and let out a bit of a chuckle,  
"You caught me. I'll admit I miss it. But... I more miss being able to have our girls in my arms without-"  
"O-our girls? Did you mean that?"  
Snatcher looked at him and nodded, the two of them knowing and agreeing that they needed the girls as much as they needed them.

That night, they both thought about talking to the girls about their families. As much as they wanted to be dads to them, they obviously couldn't steal them, especially if they claimed to love them. That would make them as twisted as Vanessa. When they asked, they had to admit that they didn't expect the girls to look so devastated. Bow told her story first.  
"Last year, a while before we met, my parents passed away. They both grew sick and the next thing I knew, I was dumped at an orphanage. I had an aunt and uncle, but they refused to take care of me. That's where I met Hat and we became like sisters!"  
Snatcher and Moonjumper just found themselves staring, when Hat finally spoke, her voice raw, though clearly not from her freezing.  
"I have never met my parents. I was left at the orphanage as a newborn, with just my name and my hat. Nobody seemed interested in taking me in, but I had lots of friends so it never bothered me! Bow and I are quite good with mechanics and engineering. So we built this ship and decided to run away and have adventures of our own! And before you ask... yes, we did decide to go home, but that was only to see our friends. We weren't gonna stay there. We thought we'd miss you all too much."

They sat in silence for a while, then Snatcher pulled out a contract and gave it to the girls, Moonjumper wringing his hands together nervously. The girls looked at the contract... it was similar to the BFF contract except that this was official, and instead of asking to be Snatcher and Moonjumper's BFFs... it was asking them to be their daughters! Snatcher had never seen a contract be signed so fast, then yelped as his girls (officially now), jumped on him and MJ, hugging their new dads. 

What a weird family... but at least their days would never be dull.

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never really liked Moustache Girl, can you tell? Thank you all who've read this. I hope you enjoyed reading. Sorry if this felt rushed, but it's more like I couldn't stop myself from writing. I've never had that before. There's always going to be amazing games or books or just fandoms in general to inspire you, huh?

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this story was okay. Not much of a writer. Thanks for reading, if you made it this far.


End file.
